[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12667]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            TRIBAL PIPELINE

  (Mr. KILMER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. KILMER. Mr. Speaker, recently, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe 
watched in anger as an oil pipeline project near their homes moved 
forward. Sadly, the tribe's concerns about the impact on their drinking 
water and on sacred lands was not properly taken into account, so the 
tribal members raised their voices, and they weren't alone.
  In an unprecedented demonstration of support, thousands of Americans, 
tribal members from all over, including many from my region, journeyed 
to North Dakota to stand in solidarity and peaceful protest with the 
Standing Rock Sioux.
  The call to respect their rights was heard. Thanks to the Obama 
administration, construction in the disputed area has been halted so 
that there can be further review, and that is a victory.
  But there is more work to do. I joined many of my colleagues to call 
on the Government Accountability Office to thoroughly inspect Federal 
policies that protect the health and environmental security of American 
Indian and Alaska Native communities.
  We have a sacred trust and treaty obligations to our tribal neighbors 
that cannot be broken. Their sovereignty must be respected, not just on 
this project, but whenever the Federal Government is acting in a way 
that impacts them.

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